John weight



(No Model.)

J. WRIGHT.

' OAR.

No. 359,374. Patented Mar. 15, 1887.

fiyi.

UNITED STATES PATENT Orricnt- JOHN W'RIGHT, OF HOOSICK FALLS, NEYV YORK.

OAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 359,374, dated March15, 1887.

Application filed December 30, 1886. Serial No. 223,006. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN WRIGHT, acitizen of the United States, residingat Hoosick Falls, in the county of Rensselaer, State of N ew York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Oars, of which thefollowing is a'specification, reference being bad therein to theaccompanying drawings.

This invention has relation to cars and paddies; and it has for its mainobject the provision of an oar or paddle which shall normally offer theleast resistance to its introduction into or its removal from the water,and which, when force is applied thereto in making a stroke, shallautomatically assume a spoonshape or concave form, and thus act toretain itself beneath the water, and in a position in which the greatestadvantage is derived from the force expended thereon in propelling aboat or analogous vessel. In other words, the object is to provide anoar or paddle which normally assumes in the blade portion a straightflat form, which shall, when force is applied for the purpose ofpropulsion, assume a concave or spoon form. Other objects and advantageswill appear in the following description, and the novel features thereofwill be particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the bladeportion of an oar or paddle constructed in accordance with my invention.Fig. 2 is a perspective of aperson rowing a boat by means of my improvedoar, the dotted lines showing the form of the blade as it is introducedinto the water, and the full lines showing its form during thepropellingstroke. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of a portion of the carprovided with means for attaching one form of a blade embodying myinvention. Fig. 4 is a perspective of a casting employed in the formillustrated in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 illustrates by transverse sections theforms assumed by the blade in the positions illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig.6 is a modified construction, and Fig 7 a side elevation of the tip ofthe blade.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of thedrawings.

A represents the blade of an oar constructed in accordance with myinvention, the handle or body portion being represented by the part E.The blade A is. constructed of any suitable flexible or elasticmaterial-ms, for example, rubber-and it is mounted or formed on theframe 0, which may be connected in any suitable manner with the body Eof the oar. In this instance I have shown two forms of connecting theblade to the oar; but I do not limit other novel features of myinvention to'any particular means for their connection to an car.

As illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the frame 0 is made of any suitablewirefor example, steel wire-which possesses sufficient rigidity, and isbent to the form of the outline of an ordinary blade, and having theends thereof inserted in or secured to a ferrule or collar, B, securedto the body E of the oar in any suit able manneras, for example, byscrews a, the collar in this instance being provided with projectingarms perforated as at a for the reception of the screws. It is alsoprovided with perforations c for the reception of the ends of the frame0, and is circumferentially grooved, as at D, to receive a band or wire,D,- for a purpose hereinafter specified. Over the frame 0, as shown inFigs. 1 and 2, I draw a rubber or other elastic covering and secure thesame by winding a band or wire, D, around the end thereof in thecircumferential groove of the collar B, as clearly shown.

As thus far described, it will be seen that the blade of the oar whendipped into or removed from the water is straight in cross-section, asshown at the right of Fig. 5, and that when power is applied, as inmaking a stroke, it bulges to the rear in the direction of its movementby the pressure of the water thereupon and assumes a concave or spoonshape, as illustrated at the left of Fig. 5. So, also, at the completionof the propelling-stroke the blade automatically resumes its straightform, and can be readily lifted from the water. The advantage of theconcave form in the face of the blade during a stroke is apparent, inthat it acts to lock or hold the blade against a tendency to turn orfeather, thus relieving to a great extent the wrist of the oarsman.

. In order to protect the tip of the blade from becoming worn, I applythereto a sheet-metal or other protector, b, which may be secured in anysuitable manneras, for example, by compressing the same upon the rubberand the inclosed frame at the end of the blade, as clearly illustratedin Fig. 7.

Instead of applying to the frame 0 a separate rubber tube or blank, Imay vulcanize upon the frame 0 a body of rubber, as clearly illustratedin Fig. 6, whereby, instead of there being two plies of elasticmaterial, there will be but a single ply, in the edges of which theframe will be embedded. In this figure, also, I illustrate anothermanner of connecting the blade with the oar, which involves the mergingof the two opposite sides of the frame 0 into each other to form a tang,which tang may be inserted in a slot formed in the body of the oar andretained there by screws or bolts a. Said tang may be also in the formof a socket to receive the body of the car, if desired. Other methods ofconnecting the blade with the oar will readily suggest themselves toskilled mechanics.

I am aware that a flexible material mounted upon ribs similar to thecovering of an umbrella has been employed for use upon the hands andlegs of a swimmer, but such a construction is not capable of or intendedto perform the function of automaticallythat is, without the use of thehand or other extraneous means-assuming a flat condition in a planecommon with the direction of move ment of an oar in entering and leavingthe water. Oar-blades have also been constructed of sheet-steel; butthis material has not the capability of locking the oar during the propelling portion of the stroke by bulging to form a bowl, which the waterfills, and from which the water is expelled at the end of the stroke bythe natural elasticity of the material 0 of which the blade is made.

Having described my invention and its operation, what I claim is- 1. Anoar-blade comprising a flexible material and surrounding a substantiallyrigid 45 frame, substantially as specified.

2. An oar-blade consisting of. a frame having an elastic coveringmounted thereon, whereby the covering may stretch and relax within theframes, substantially as specified.

3. An oar-blade consisting of a rubber body portion having a frameembedded therein and near the edges thereof, substantially as specified.

4. In an oar, the combination, with the body portion, of a frame ofblade form in outline, and an elastic covering mounted on the frame,substantially as specified.

5. The combination of the oar-body E, the frame 0, having a blade-likeshape, the elastic 60 covering A, formed for connection with theoar-body E, and the fastening devices a, substantially as specified.

6. The combination of the oar-body E, collar 13, having the peripheralgroove D, perforations a, with the frame 0, elastic covering A, andprotecting-tip b, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' JOHN IVRIGHT.

Witnesses:

E. K. ilIoLEAN, M. E. JOHNSTON.

